Between Friends
by Michelle Clover
Summary: Alistair had never given any indication that he and Hailey were anything more than friends. Not only that, but she and Zevran had been intimate for months and she cared for the elf deeply. So why in the Maker's name had she betrothed herself to Alistair at the Landsmeet? Rated M for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

The Landsmeet was over. As Hailey Cousland stood in the dining room of Arl Eamon's Denerim estate, she was still in a mild state of shock over the words she had spoken to the nobles. Arl Eamon had left the decision of the rule of Ferelden entirely up to her. As she stared around the room at the gathered nobles, she just blurted out, "Alistair will be king and I shall rule at his side."

The biggest question weighing on her mind in the aftermath was, _why_? Why had she made that decision? Going into the Landsmeet, she had convinced Alistair and Anora to marry and rule together, but after Anora made it abundantly clear that she would never marry Alistair after he killed her father, Hailey panicked. She had every confidence that Alistair would be able to rule on his own, but the skeptical glares on the faces of the nobles caused her to make a very rash decision. Even though Alistair was of royal blood, everyone in that room knew the would-be king had no clue about politics and governance. Hailey had to say something that would win them over. Since she was nobility and had been trained in the ways of Ferelden politics, she thought that maybe if she agreed to be his queen, the nobles would think he would have a better chance with her aid.

Hailey shifted her weight from one foot to the other and fidgeted a bit as she waited for Alistair to arrive. The scenario of the two of them marrying hadn't even been discussed. At the Landsmeet, he simply stared at her with shock for a moment before quickly gathering his composure and addressing the nobles. When Hailey left, he had stayed behind to speak with Eamon while she returned to the arl's estate to wait for the impending fallout of her actions. Zevran hadn't spoken a word to her upon their return. In fact, he had barely glanced in her direction.

The door to the room burst open quite suddenly, making the young Cousland jump. Alistair strode in as if he owned the place and calmly spoke to the others. "Will you please excuse us?" he asked in a calm voice. "I need to discuss some things with my future bride."

After their companions had quietly filed out of the room, he turned his attention to Hailey. She smiled sheepishly. "I hope you are not angry with me."

Alistair shook his head. "No…I'm not angry…just a bit confused. I understand why you made me king. I am even beginning to warm up to the idea and I think that, despite all my previous protests, I might actually be good at it. What I don't understand is the other bit. Why in Thedas did you announce that you would be my queen? First you got me to agree to marry that bitch, Anora. Then, when it became obvious that arrangement wasn't going to pan out, you decided to betroth _yourself_ to me? We never even discussed such a thing. Do you even want to be queen? Or is it that you do not think me capable of finding a suitable wife for myself?"

Hailey took a deep breath and closed her eyes before answering. "It's just that the nobles seemed a bit reluctant to just allow you to take over the throne. You were not raised in nobility and you have no idea what it is like to rule an arling or terynir, let alone an entire nation. I thought that maybe if you had someone at your side to…help you along…shall we say, they would be more receptive. A lot of those men and women were very loyal to Anora even if they did not side with her father and without a little extra nudge in the right direction I feared that we still risked rebellion against you."

"You know as Grey Wardens having an heir is nearly impossible for one of us, let alone two."

She nodded. "Yes, but I figured the chances of you having an heir with anyone was slim at best anyway."

"And what of Zevran?" Alistair argued. "I know that the two of you are close. What does he have to say about all of this? Or is it your intention to continue your relationship with him even after you become queen?"

Hailey sighed. "I don't know how Zev feels. He hasn't spoken to me since the Landsmeet."

"So this is simply to be a political arrangement, nothing more? You and I will carry on with whomever we please and just be married for the good of the country?"

"All I know is that you are my best friend, Alistair. I can think of a lot worse ways to spend my life than to be married to my best friend. Although I am a Grey Warden, I am still nobility. In being the last of my own line, that means that the rule of Highever would still fall to me if I hadn't chosen to be your wife. That means that Zevran and I could never be wed even if it is something we both wanted. Not only that, but I should think marrying me would be a damn site better than marrying Anora for you."

The future king shrugged in defeat. "I suppose you are right. I guess I just never thought that I would be forced into a loveless marriage, but marrying my best friend would have to be better than being shackled to some she-demon I can't stomach to even look at. Anyway, what's done is done. There will be plenty of time for these discussions later, assuming we survive what is to come. Our main focus right now should be the Blight. Eamon has already left for Redcliffe and we need to get underway as soon as possible."

"I can have the others ready to go within the hour" she told him.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been days since the Landsmeet and Zevran still hadn't spoken more than a few words to Hailey. She had attempted to talk to him several times, but he always made an excuse that there was something else he needed to do. She began to wonder if they would ever get the chance to talk about what happened, when it all came to a head at the camp the night before they were to reach Redcliffe.

Hailey had noticed several of her companions staggering around after someone had managed to procure some Antivan brandy in the village where they stopped for supplies earlier in the day. Even Alistair had imbibed a bit too much and seemed happier than she had seen him prior to the Landsmeet. She thought to stop the revelries, but decided to hold her tongue because she figured that they were all a bit on edge about what was to come and they needed a few moments of levity before facing it.

She was just getting ready to retire for the evening, when something caught her eye, a kiss between Leliana and Zevran. Hailey was stunned. What shocked her even more was the smirk the Antivan elf flashed her just before leading Leliana into his tent. Their activities inside were not subtle by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it seemed as if Zevran was being particularly louder than normal on purpose. She felt tears stinging her eyes as she waited for it to be over. She knew that her lover had been upset, but she couldn't understand how he could do such a thing. As she sat there in stunned silence with tears streaming down her cheeks, she felt a hand grip her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Hails?"

She peered up into Alistair's soft hazel eyes. "Why? Why would he do this?"

The prince took a seat next to her on the ground. "I don't know. At first I thought that maybe the two of you ended your affair." He wiped his fingertips across her cheeks. "But I take it that isn't what happened."

She shook her head sadly. "I've tried discussing my decision with him, but he won't even talk to me about it."

"It seems to be a bit over the top, even for Zevran. I can't imagine doing something like that to someone I supposedly love no matter how angry I might be."

"I've known the type of man Zevran was from the very beginning and I guess I should have expected as much, but…I just thought things were different between us. I thought he had changed."

"I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better, Hails, but all I can do is say I'm sorry that you're hurting like this."

Hailey pulled his arm around her and leaned into him. "Thank you, Alistair. It means a lot to know that you're always there when I need a shoulder to cry on."

He squeezed her shoulders and whispered "What are best friends for?" before chuckling quietly to himself.

His future queen pulled back a bit and arched a brow at him. "Is something funny about this?"

He waggled his head and smiled sadly. "No...It's not funny at all, really. I was just thinking about the fact that I am sitting here comforting my future wife because her Antivan lover broke her heart."

Hailey's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry Alistair. I suppose I really shouldn't bother you with this sort of thing should I?"

Before the prince could reply, Zevran emerged from his tent. He didn't even glance in Hailey's direction as he made his way to the tree line. Hailey tried to stand, determined to chase after the elf and confront him, but found that Alistair had too tight a grip on her to allow her to do so.

"Don't, Hailey" he ordered softly. "He's too drunk and you're too upset to do this right now. Just allow enough time to cool yourself down and for him to sober up. Otherwise you're just going to make it worse."

"How could it be worse, Alistair?"

"Just trust me…please? Let it go for tonight?"

She nodded silently as she buried her face in his chest and her crying began anew. She felt his hand smoothing back her hair and wondered why she was never able to attract a man like him. Before she and Zevran had gotten together all those months ago, she had flirted and joked with Alistair, but he never seemed the least bit interested in her. Sure, he had called her pretty a few times during their conversations, but so had her brother's best friend, Nathaniel when he visited the castle with his father. Hailey had built a whole relationship around it in fact, until one day when she tried to kiss Nathaniel and he pushed her away telling her that he never meant anything by it and he was just trying to be nice to his best friend's kid sister.

Hailey figured that Alistair's compliments had been just as empty. He never made a move to give her any indication that he wanted more than friendship and she wasn't about to make such a fool of herself again, so she just let it be. Zevran, on the other hand, treated her as if she were the most desirable woman in Thedas. He never said he loved her, not once, but she thought what they had went beyond mere physical attraction. Hailey just wished she could understand men and the way they thought. Maybe she was simply incapable of being loved. Maybe her skill with the sword made her undesirable as anything more than a friend to a good man and as anything more than a tryst to a man like Zevran.

She felt Alistair's lips softly touch the top of her head before she finally gazed up at him. His eyes were glistening in the firelight, but he remained silent as he waited for her to speak. Even she was surprised by the words that came out of her mouth. "Would you stay with me tonight Alistair? I don't want to be alone."

"Hailey…" he began.

"I just want to know the feeling of falling asleep in the arms of someone who really cares about me again…nothing more."

He nodded as he pushed the flaxen hair away from her face. "Of course, Hails…if that's what you really want."

She kissed his cheek softly. "Thank you, Alistair."


	3. Chapter 3

When they arrived in Redcliffe Village late the following morning, Hailey still hadn't confronted Zevran. The truth of the matter was, she didn't really want to. He had always maintained that they were both free to follow their fancies as they desired and she supposed that was what he had done with Leliana. Hailey just couldn't believe that she had been so foolish as to think there was something more between her and Zevran than a physical relationship. She felt just as big an idiot as she had when she threw herself at Nathaniel. The previous evening spent in Alistair's arms had put everything in perspective for her. If the two of them survived the Blight, they were going to be king and queen of Ferelden. Nothing was more important than that. What role did love play in politics anyway? All an outside relationship would do would be to complicate things. Hailey decided that she would live for her duty to her people, to her country and nothing more.

When Hailey, Alistair, Sten and Morrigan entered the village, they found that it had been overrun by darkspawn. They eradicated all of the creatures they could find before they made their way to the castle. That is when they discovered that the incursion they had just fought was just a small part broken away from the horde that was marching toward Denerim with the archdemon leading them.

Riordan informed the two junior Wardens that it was up to the three of them to slay the archdemon. When Hailey asked how they would accomplish such a thing, Riordan's expression turned both worried and sympathetic.

"Duncan did not tell you why a Warden must be the one to slay the archdemon?" When they both shook their heads in answer, he sighed. "He probably thought there would be time to tell you later. Meet me in my room after we are finished here and I will explain everything."

On her way upstairs, Leliana stopped Hailey in the hallway. "I just wanted to apologize for what happened last night. I know it is no excuse, but I was quite intoxicated and one thing led to another…I am truly sorry and I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Hailey wanted to shout at the red-headed woman. She wanted to knock her flat on her ass. Instead, she bit her lip to keep from crying and stared down at her shoes for a long moment to gain her composure. When her eyes finally met Leliana's, she noticed that the rogue's makeup had run from the teardrops streaming down her cheeks.

Hailey let out a long breath. "I do forgive you, Leliana. I know how persuasive Zevran can be when he sets his mind to bed a woman. It still hurts, but I cannot hold you responsible for what happened. He is the one who made the decision to do that and I think he did it willfully just to wound me."

"I feel like such a fool, even more so now."

Hailey flashed a sad smile. "You aren't the only one, but right now I have Warden business to attend to. Can we talk later?"

Leliana nodded. "Of course."

By the time Hailey reached Riordan's room, Alistair was already waiting outside the door for her. When they entered, Riordan informed them of the reason a Warden was needed to slay the archdemon and Hailey decided then and there if it came down to a choice between her and Alistair to perform the deed, she was going to be the one to do it. Alistair was going to be king and the people of Ferelden needed him much more than they needed her. She was still contemplating her impending death when she entered her room and found Morrigan standing in front of the fireplace.

"Is everything okay, Morrigan?" she asked.

The witch turned to her. "I know what Riordan told you. In order to slay the archdemon, a Grey Warden must die, but I am here to let you know that this does not have to be."

Hailey's brow creased. "What do you mean?"

"There is a way out, a loop in your hole so to speak. I know of a ritual performed on the eve of battle in the dark of night that will spare the lives of all the Wardens."

"What kind of ritual?" the younger woman inquired with curiosity. "What must be done?"

"It is old magic. What I need is for Alistair to lay with me tonight. From this act a child will be conceived. The child will bear the taint and will act as a beacon to the archdemon. Instead of entering the one who slays it, its soul will enter the child, leaving the Warden alive."

"You want to give birth to an archdemon?"

The witch shook her head. "No, at such an early stage, the child will absorb the archdemon's soul and instead be born with the soul of an old god."

Hailey sighed. "What makes you think that Alistair would even agree to such a thing?"

"Do you really believe that Alistair would hesitate to sacrifice himself if he had to make that choice? You claim to be his best friend. I, however, know that your feelings run much deeper than that. You know I speak the truth. Do you want to see him perish in such a manner? And, even if you could somehow convince him to allow you to take the final blow, are you willing to give up your own life so easily? I think you have many reasons to agree to my proposal."

On the surface, what Morrigan offered seemed like a bad idea to Hailey, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she really had no other choice. She certainly didn't want to die and the thought of Alistair dying was too much for her heart to bear. Morrigan had been correct about her feelings for the future king and even if he didn't share those feelings, Hailey couldn't allow him to die like that.

"Okay" she whispered with a nod. "I will talk to him."

"Then you must go speak with him now. I urge you to be convincing."

Alistair was apparently getting ready to retire for the evening when Hailey knocked on his door. When he opened it, he had already removed his armor and was standing before her dressed only in a pair of dark brown trousers.

"Can't sleep, huh?" he asked.

"You could say that" she replied with a half-hearted smile.

"What's wrong, Hails? Is this about Zevran?"

Hailey shook her head. "No. Alistair, we need to talk."

"Could you make it sound more ominous? What's going on?"

"What would you say if I told you that nobody had to die when the archdemon is slain?"

"I'm listening."

She exhaled loudly. "There is a ritual that can be performed to prevent it."

"Something Morrigan cooked up, no doubt. So what is it?"

Hailey chewed at her lower lip. "I'm afraid you're not going to like it."

"Look, I'm really tired, Hails. Just tell me already."

"Well…it involves you…and Morrigan…"

"And?"

Her brow furrowed as she thought of the right way to tell him. When nothing came to her, she blurted, "You have to sleep with her."

To Hailey's complete surprise, Alistair laughed. "I get it. This is payback for all of the jokes right?" When he noticed the expression on her face, his own turned sour. "Only…you're not joking are you?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"So in order to spare my life, I have to sleep with that shrew?"

"Yes" she replied quietly.

"Huh" he huffed as he began to pace. "Be killed by the archdemon or sleep with Morrigan?" He then chuckled nervously before adding. "How does someone make that kind of choice?" When Hailey remained silent, Alistair walked to the nearby desk and slumped down in the chair. He ran his fingers through his blonde mane. "Look, even if I agree to do this, and I'm not saying that I am…are you sure this decision is wise? You are my best friend Hailey, but something about this just feels wrong."

"Alistair," she said pleadingly "I don't want either of us to die. You just have to trust me."

"I do trust you, Hails, but…" he began before heaving a sigh. "Alright. If you really think it's for the best." He stood. "_Ugh. _Let's just get this over with before I change my mind."


	4. Chapter 4

After Morrigan led Alistair off to his room, Hailey was left alone, standing in front of the fireplace. She placed her arm on the mantle and leaned into it just before a flood of angry and bitter tears began to flow. She cried over the way things went so horribly wrong with Zevran. She cried over her secret desire to be with Alistair and the unrequited love she felt for him. She cried for the loss of her family. She cried for being forced into a duty she never wanted. She cried for Alistair and the way she had to convince him to give his virginity to the one woman in Thedas he hated above all others. Why had her life turned out to be such a complete mess? What more could the Maker ask of her?

Once she was sure she could not physically shed another tear, Hailey swiped at her cheeks and eyes furiously to remove all traces of her emotional pain from anyone else's view. She walked to the basin of cold water sitting on a nearby table and splashed her face several times before drying it and taking time to fuss with her hair for a few moments. She had made the decision that she was going to confront Zevran, whether he wanted to talk about things or not. If that short chapter of her life was to end, she wanted it to be closed completely.

She made her way down the corridor to the room that Arl Eamon had assigned for her elven companion and knocked on the door. She supposed she should have been surprised when, a few minutes later, a young red-headed serving girl answered wearing nothing but a sheet, but she wasn't.

"M…may I help you, my lady?" the other woman asked.

"I would like to speak with Zevran" the young Warden replied in a calm, but authoritative voice.

With a questioning gaze, the servant turned to the man lying on the bed. Hailey saw him nod before he put his feet to the floor and began pulling on his trousers. The young woman gave Hailey a small curtsy before scrambling back into the room and quickly gathering her clothes in her arms. She slipped past Hailey as she quickly made her way from the room and down the hall. Zevran sauntered to the door and folded his arms over his chest before finally addressing his former lover.

"I must say, I am surprised to see you out and about this late in the evening considering you have such an early morning ahead of you."

His countenance was so cold that it made Hailey blanch slightly. She mustered all of the emotional strength she could and managed to keep herself from breaking down when she finally spoke. "Zevran…I think we need to talk."

He shrugged casually. "I cannot imagine what there is to talk about, my dear lady…unless you have come to share my bed one more night before the final battle is to begin."

"I just need to know why, Zevran. Why are you behaving like this?"

"I do not understand your question, mia bella. How do you expect me to behave? I told you from the beginning that you are free to pursue your fancies anytime you wish and I would ask nothing more of you than you are willing to give. Am I not to expect the same courtesy from you?"

"But…" she began, "I thought that you and I…"

He stared blankly at her. "You thought you and I, what? Were a couple? Would get married and live happily ever after somewhere on a farm? Even before your announcement at the Landsmeet, we both knew that was never going to be a possibility. I must admit that toying with such an idea was amusing, at least for a time, but reality had to sink in sooner or later. What we had together was a nice distraction from the ugliness of the Blight, but I think you will agree that it is time for us to move on now."

"So that's it then?"

"What more is there to say, mia dolce? The truth of the matter is, we never had a future together. You are to be queen and I will go back to what I do best."

Hailey closed her eyes to block the tears that threatened to fall. "I am sorry I hurt you, Zevran. That was never my intention."

He smirked. "You did not hurt me, my dear Warden. In truth, you never had the power to do so. I am not the type of man that will allow my emotions to run away with me. I am sorry if you did not realize that before now. I suppose the only question remaining is…am I still bound by my oath to remain with you or am I free to go as I please."

Hailey shrugged dejectedly. Once again she allowed herself to build a relationship in her mind that was never really there. "You can do whatever you want, Zevran. I will not ask you to stay if you are of a mind to leave."

He nodded. "Then I shall take my leave of you on the morrow. I think it is for the best, but before I go…I want to thank you…for sparing my life."

The young Warden could no longer stem the tide of tears that had welled up in her eyes. "And that's all I ever meant to you? You were merely grateful to me for not killing you?"

He sighed. "Please do not weep, mia bella. No man is worth marring such a beautiful face with such unhappiness. You have been a good friend, and the benefits of that friendship have been wonderful. The truth is…I will never forget you or what we shared. If I am to be completely candid…I have grown to care for you a great deal…more than any other woman I have ever known."

"Then why are you leaving, Zevran? We can work this out."

The elf shook his head. "It is because no matter how much I wish it to be otherwise, your heart…it does not belong to me. It never has and it never will. Do not think that I have not noticed the way you look at your newly betrothed. Never once have you looked upon me with such adoration or love in your eyes. You have told everyone that will listen that your reason for marrying Alistair is for the good of your country, but I know you well enough to see through that façade. It is your hope that he will love you as much in time…is it not?"

"That is never going to happen Zevran. Alistair does not have those feelings for me."

"Maybe your dream is closer to becoming a reality than you think, mia dolce."

Hailey's brow creased. "What do you mean by that?"

He waggled his head. "It is nothing. What is important is that I am not going to stand in your way. I care for you too much to do that. I am sorry for my behavior as of late. I suppose I was simply trying to make you angry enough to want to toss me aside. I thought it might lessen any pain this would give you."

She gave him a sad smile. "I guess I can understand that. At least I know that we will be parting on good terms."

Zevran's lips softly grazed her cheek. "Then let me say it now because there will not be another chance. Meeting you…being with you, for however brief a time, has been the most enjoyable experience of my life. I will hold the memory of this in my heart and treasure it like a precious heirloom. I have never said this before to anyone and I doubt I ever will again, but…I do love you, Hailey." He kissed her lips tenderly one final time before quietly saying, "Goodbye, la mia amore" and closing the door, leaving Hailey standing alone in the hallway in stunned silence.


	5. Chapter 5

Hailey had just slipped into bed, when she heard someone lightly rap on her door. Thinking Zevran might have changed his mind, she hurriedly jumped out of bed. She didn't even take the time to slip on pants, but ran to the door in nothing but her long white linen nightshirt. When she turned the handle and swung the door open, she found, to her surprise, that she wasn't the least bit disappointed that it wasn't Zevran who had come knocking.

"Alistair?" she questioned breathlessly. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

He shook his head as his eyes moved down her body then back up to her face. Hailey blushed when she realized that the shirt she wore was thin enough that it hid nothing and he was able to get a good view of what the Maker gave her. She folded her arms over her chest in an attempt to hide her hardened nipples. The prince nervously cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to disturb you. Perhaps I should just return to my room."

She smiled in an attempt to put him at ease before motioning him inside. "Don't be silly, Alistair. Come in." Once the door was shut behind them. Hailey sat down on the side of her bed and patted the spot next to her leg, inviting him to join her. "So…" she began with a bit of trepidation, "how did everything go…with the…uh…ritual?"

Alistair rolled his eyes. "Don't ask. Let's just say she got what she wanted and leave it at that."

"I'm sorry Alistair…that your first time wasn't more…enjoyable."

He shrugged. "Well at least Oghren can stop making fun of my being a virgin. I really don't understand what the big deal is about…well…you know. It wasn't horrible, but it definitely wasn't anything to get excited about."

Hailey flashed a coy smile. "It can actually be quite amazing, if done right."

"Is that so?" The prince asked as he stared into her eyes for a long moment causing Hailey's breath to catch in her throat. Her heart was beating so fast and so hard that she thought it might give out. Alistair's face moved closer to hers. "Do you think I will ever have the opportunity to…you know…do it right?"

She nodded slowly. "I think there is a good chance" she whispered as she waited for his lips to close the gap between them.

Suddenly, he backed away. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

Hailey blew an exasperated, but quiet breath. "I suppose we shall."

"Anyway," he said as he stood "I just came to let you know that it was finished. I suppose I should be headed back to my room now…Unless you would like for me to stay with you as I did last night. I mean, we are going to be married soon and we will need to grow accustomed to doing such a thing…sleeping in the same bed and everything…even if there is nothing else involved."

"You don't want to sleep alone do you?"

"It's not that…I just don't want to sleep in that bed after what happened there a little while ago. I'm afraid it will give me nightmares."'

Hailey chuckled. "You can stay if you want. I must admit that I wouldn't mind the company."

Unlike the previous evening when they both slept fully clothed in trousers and tunics, Alistair removed his shirt and then slipped under the covers before removing his pants so he was dressed in nothing but his smallclothes. He flashed a reluctant grin.

"I hope you don't mind. It's just that it's a bit warm and sleeping in all those clothes is uncomfortable."

Hailey shrugged with a demure smile. She could feel her face turn red and her voice shook slightly as she spoke. "I don't mind."

As she climbed into bed next to Alistair, Hailey couldn't help but admire his form. His broad chest and muscular arms did nothing to calm her nerves and she wondered how she would stop her body from trembling against his if he decided to press himself against her back the way he had done the night before. She tried to pull her shirt down to cover her bare bottom as she rolled over onto her side to face away from him.

"Are you cold, Hails?" he asked. "You're shivering like you have a chill."

She swallowed past the lump in her throat and managed a quiet, "No, I'm fine."

"Here" he said softly as he scooted closer to her and wrapped his arm tightly around her waist. "Let me see if I can warm you up."

Hailey had to bite her lips to keep from gasping when she felt his excitement twitch against her bottom. She squeezed her eyelids together and began taking deep breaths in an effort to calm herself. All of that went completely out the window when she felt her hair being pushed aside followed by a pair of soft lips upon her neck. She let out a long ragged breath as Alistair's tongue traced a path up to her earlobe and his hand moved to her breast.

"Is this okay?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

Hailey could only manage a nod as his teeth grazed her lobe. His hand slid from her breast up to her cheek and he turned her head so he could look in her eyes. She felt as if she could lose herself completely in those hazel orbs. He turned her onto her back and moved his right leg between her thighs. His thumb caressed her cheek as he continued staring into the depths of her soul. When he bent his head and pressed his mouth to hers, Hailey pulled him closer. Suddenly it felt as if every inch of her body came alive in a way she had never experienced before. No words were spoken between them as Alistair moved his other leg between hers and began grinding his manhood against her most intimate place.

Their tongues danced together in passionate rhythm as Hailey's need for him grew to an all-consuming fever that burned to her very core. Never in her life had she wanted anything or anyone more than she wanted Alistair at that moment. His right hand, which had become entangled in her long blonde hair, slid down between them. He pulled his face away from her to gaze into her eyes just before she felt him push himself inside her. As soon as he was buried completely into her hilt, his entire body shuddered and he stopped for a long moment before he began moving his hips in a steady rhythm.

He slid his hands behind her head and pressed his body into hers. Hailey dug her nails into his back which caused his pace to quicken. His strokes were steady as he moved inside her. Time lost all meaning as they continued the most intimate of dances. After what seemed like an eternity, yet no time at all, he placed his cheek next to hers and whispered into her ear. "Hailey…Oh Maker…Hailey…You cannot know how long I have wanted this."

His words caused her instant release and she wrapped her legs around his as her body shook through waves of ecstasy. Alistair moaned as he thrust himself forward and she felt the warm sensation of his seed flowing into her. They were both trembling when they were finally completely spent and he collapsed into her arms.

He kissed her tenderly and then smiled. "Thank you" he whispered before rolling over onto his back. After a few short moments, he pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. "You were correct, by the way. That was absolutely amazing."

Even though what had just taken place was something Hailey had dreamed about for months, she couldn't help but be confused by it. She knew what it meant to her, but she wondered what Alistair's motivation was. She tried not to dwell on it as she nuzzled her face into his chest. In the end, she decided to simply keep quiet about her reservations, and just enjoy being in the arms of the man she loved.


	6. Chapter 6

When Hailey awoke the next morning, Alistair was gone. She supposed that was probably a pretty good indication of what the events of the previous evening meant. She dressed and packed her things quickly and headed downstairs to join the others who were getting ready to march to Denerim. Alistair of course was already in the throne room conversing with Eamon. When the prince noticed her walk past, he flashed a knowing grin.

_Well, _Hailey thought, _at least he's not completely ignoring me. That's always a good sign._

There wasn't time to dwell on such things, however. In fact, she barely had time to wolf down a quick breakfast before it was announced that the army was heading out. Alistair stayed at Teagan's side as the troops began to make their way from the village, while Hailey stayed at the rear with the rest of her companions. True to his word, Zevran was gone. She was told that he had left sometime in the middle of the night with all of his things. Although she knew that she would miss him, Hailey felt like his departure was what was best for both of them. After her evening with Alistair, there was no question in Hailey's mind where her heart truly lay.

The march to Ferelden's capital was a long one. The journey took nearly two weeks and in all that time, Hailey never managed to catch up with Alistair. When they finally reached the outer city gates, they found that Denerim had already been overrun with darkspawn and they had to fight their way through. After hours of battle, the darkspawn blocking their path into the city proper were driven back. Hailey and her companions gathered around Riordan to make their plans to enter the inner gates. It was decided that the two junior Wardens, along with Morrigan and Sten, would enter the city while the rest would hold the outer gates with Oghren leading them.

Just as they were getting ready to head to the inner gates, Alistair stopped Hailey.

"I looked for you every night when we made camp, but I never had any luck in finding you."

"I searched for you as well" she told him.

"I just didn't want you to think that I was avoiding you after what happened the night before we left Redcliffe."

She chuckled. "Well, I must admit, I was beginning to wonder."

"There's something I need to say to you before we go…just in case I don't get the chance later."

Hailey shook her head. "Alistair, neither one of us is dying today. There will be plenty of time after the battle."

He sighed. "I suppose you're right" he agreed before taking a deep breath. "So…what do you say we get in there and kick some archdemon ass?"

"Sounds good to me."

As they fought their way through the city, however, Hailey couldn't help but wonder what it was that Alistair was going to say. She found herself wishing she had just allowed him to speak his mind, but part of her was afraid that she wasn't going to be happy about what he had to tell her. Would he have said that it was a mistake? She didn't think her heart could take it if that was the case.

It was after dusk when they finally reached the doors leading out to the top of Fort Drakon's tower. Riordan had wounded the archdemon, but lost his life in the process. Hailey began to question whether or not the ritual that Morrigan had performed was really going to work. As Alistair reached for the handles of the door, Hailey grabbed his arm.

A million things went through her head as he stood there staring at her with confusion, but no matter how much she wanted to, she just couldn't make her mouth work. Alistair smiled before bending his head and kissing her cheek softly.

"Don't worry" he whispered in her ear. "We can do this. I'm not about to let anything happen to you, Hails."

She managed a nod before Alistair turned the handles and raced out into the night.

* * *

It was days before Hailey regained consciousness after taking the archdemon's head. Leliana was at her bedside when she awoke along with Wynne and a couple of palace servants, but Alistair was nowhere to be seen.

"Thank the Maker" the red-head cried with relief. "We were starting to wonder if you were ever going to wake. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit with a ton of bricks" Hailey managed as she tried to sit up.

"Alistair has worried himself sick over you. Wynne had to threaten him with magic before he would leave your side and get some rest." She addressed one of the servants. "Go wake the king. Tell him that we need him to come immediately."

The elven woman curtsied. "Yes, my lady, right away."

"I would not bother him," Leliana told Hailey after the servant had shut the door behind her, "but I am afraid he might have me beheaded if he found out that you came to without letting him know."

Several minutes later, the door burst open and a disheveled Alistair stood there with a panic-stricken expression. "What happened? Is Hailey okay?"

"I'm fine, Alistair" the young Warden answered.

Before Hailey knew what was happening, the king had jumped on the bed next to her and gathered her into his arms. "Thank the Maker" he croaked through heavy sobs. "I thought I lost you." After several minutes like that, Alistair wiped his eyes and turned to the others in the room. "Could you excuse us for a few minutes? I would like to have a private conversation with my future queen."

When the others had gone from the room, he returned his attention to Hailey. "I have been kicking myself ever since you lost consciousness for not telling you what I wanted to say before we entered the city. I was so afraid that I might not ever get the chance."

"I'm sorry Alistair. I guess I was frightened of what you were going to tell me."

His brow creased. "And what exactly did you think I was going to say that would scare you?"

She bit her lower lip. "I thought you might tell me that what happened between us was…a mistake."

"And why would that frighten you?"

Hailey stared down at her hands and whispered. "Because I…I don't think it was. I didn't want to believe that it didn't mean as much to you as it did to me."

He took her face into his hands and chuckled while tears welled up in his eyes at the same time. "You know, Hails…for such an intelligent woman…you can be pretty thick sometimes."

"What do you mean?" she asked with confusion.

"Haven't you figured it out by now? I have tried to tell you in so many ways, for so long...I love you. I fell in love with you from the moment I first laid eyes on you. You are the most kind, most intelligent…most beautiful woman I have ever met. You are everything I have ever wanted and so much more. When you announced that you would be my queen at the Landsmeet, I thought that my heart would leap out of my chest. My only hope was that, if we were married and we spent enough time together, you would grow to love me as much as I love you. I don't want to have a political marriage. I want you to be my wife in every sense of the word. You are everything to me."

Hailey couldn't keep the grin from shining through her tears. "Really?"

Alistair pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "Really." She felt something slip around the ring finger of her left hand. "Even though we were betrothed publicly at the Landsmeet, I want to do this right. Hailey Cousland…will you do me the great honor of being my wife?"

In answer to his question, Hailey immediately pulled him in for a long kiss. For the first time in her life, she felt the Maker smiling on her and she knew that everything she had gone through to get to that moment had been completely worth it.


End file.
